Softball Recap: Hammond Morton Finds Home Field Redemption Against Merrillville

There's no place like home for Hammond Morton, who bounced back after a loss on the road last Saturday. They blew past the Merrillville Pirates 17-1 on Thursday. The high-scoring effort was just what the Governors needed considering they were shut out in their previous match.

Ei'Lani Herrera

Batters Struck Out (Career)

04/03/25 vs Merrillville	9
04/25/24 vs Lake Station Edison	7
05/21/24 vs Gary West Side	6
04/09/24 vs East Chicago Central	4
03/29/25 @ Highland	1

Ei'Lani Herrera was a major factor no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out nine batters over five innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits (and only one walk). Those nine strikeouts gave her a new career-high. She was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring four runs and stealing four bases while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Analiya Feliciano, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, four stolen bases, and four runs. Branyla Goshay was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-2.

Hammond Morton always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .515. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Merrillville only posted an OBP of .167.

The win got Hammond Morton back to even at 1-1. As for Merrillville, they dropped their record down to 0-2 with the loss, which was their 13th straight on the road dating back to last season.

Hammond Morton will get to enjoy the win for a while: their next game is against Gary West Side at 4:30 p.m. on the 14th. As for Merrillville, they have already played their next contest, a 21-0 defeat against Portage on the 8th.